Black-Faced Cuckoo Shrike

Strolling around with my camera mid-afternoon on a hot January day, I saw this fellow sitting high in a tree: a Black-Faced Cuckoo-Shrike. These are the times when I wish I had a telephoto lens. The bird was just sitting there, relaxed and I had the opportunity to take several shots before it moved to a branch to shelter beneath leaves.

Outlined against a deep blue sky, the black face is almost a silhouette, but there is sufficient detail to identify the bird. The white underside with soft grey feathers, and the black edged tail feathers can be seen. It looks like such a strikingly beautiful bird. I hope I come across another one, lower down in the tree, so I can capture the plumage more clearly.

A slight flicker of movement caught my eye, or I may well have missed this beautiful bird.Although the light is quite harsh, the black edges on the tail feathers can be seen in this image.The black face is now hidden, but we can get a glimpse of the birds plumage in this shot.